Drug Dealer’s High-Stakes Escape Foiled in Middleton
Ibraheem Abdullah, 38, was caught red-handed with 20 kilos of almost pure cocaine hidden in boxes of mobile phone accessories. The haul, worth a staggering £1.6 million on the streets after cutting, was seized at a joiner’s yard in Middleton on April 17, 2020.
Desperate Getaway Ends in Arrest
Also known as Dwaine George, Abdullah tried to flee when National Crime Agency (NCA) and Greater Manchester Police officers swooped on the yard in Wade Street. During the chase, he smashed one mobile phone against a wall and threw another into nearby Wince Brook, hoping to destroy crucial evidence. But the ploy failed and he was arrested minutes later.
Police later found electronic scales and plastic bags in his Manchester home, confirming the drug-running operation.
EncroChat Phone Cracks Case Wide Open
The smashed phone wasn’t just any device – it was Abdullah’s EncroChat phone, used under the handle ‘Tenderpasta’ to organise the cocaine shipment from the Netherlands. The drugs tested with 70-73% purity, making them highly valuable on the black market.
Text exchanges on April 7, 2020, between ‘Tenderpasta’ and ‘Maxbro’ revealed the Middleton joiner’s yard as the chosen drop-off spot, with Abdullah even sending a photo of the location. Cell mast data confirmed Abdullah’s phones were near the yard during these communications.
Deal Negotiations Exposed by Encrypted Chats
Other EncroChat messages with ‘Flyinghourse’ showed Abdullah haggling over the sale of cocaine, agreeing on a whopping £37,500 per kilo.
Abdullah appeared at Manchester City Crown Court on November 9, admitting conspiracy to import Class A drugs. His sentencing is set for December 17.
